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A Grim Beginning quest steps and best Choose Path choice between Dark and Fairy in Pokémon Go

What's the best Choose Path choice - Dark or Fairy?

The official art for Obstagoon and Gardevoir, with two Impidimps in-between them.
Image credit: Eurogamer/The Pokémon Company/Niantic
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Guide by Lottie Lynn Guides Editor
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A Grim Beginning is the branching Special Research quest released during the Wild Area 2025: Global event in Pokémon Go.

During this Pokémon Go quest, you need to pick between two paths - Dark and Fairy - which are both themed around a specific Pokémon type. (Can you guess which ones?) Since this choice is a permanent one, affecting both the challenges and rewards you'll encounter, it's a good idea to know the best A Grim Beginning Choose Path choice for you before starting the quest.

So take a look below to find all of the A Grim Beginning quest steps in Pokémon Go, along with the Dark and Fairy rewards and bonuses.

On this page:

'A Grim Beginning' quest steps in Pokémon Go

A Grim Beginning is an exclusive Special Research quest for players who've purchased a ticket for the Wild Area 2025: Global event. You must play Pokémon Go between 10am to 6pm (local time) on either Saturday 15th or Sunday 16th November to unlock this quest. If it doesn't unlock automatically, then try closing and reopening the game as this should force it to appear.

The path options available during the A Grim Beginning quest in Pokémon Go - a black box for Dark and a pink box for Fairy.
Image credit: Eurogamer/Niantic

A Grim Beginning is a branching quest, tasking you with picking between two paths - Dark and Fairy - after completing the first step. Keep in mind that you can not change your path choice, so you best be sure about your decision. Don't worry though, I've taken a look at which Choose Path choice is best further along in this guide.

While A Grim Beginning doesn't have a deadline, I do recommend progressing to at least the point where you earn the medal for your chosen path as this will unlock two additional bonuses for the Wild Area 2025: Global event.

Below you'll find all of the A Grim Beginning quest steps which occur before you choose a path. Be warned - spoilers lie ahead.

'A Grim Beginning' Step 1 of 6

  • Catch 10 Pokémon - 2,000 XP
  • Spin 5 PokéStops or Gyms - 1 Poffin
  • Take snapshots of 3 different wild Pokémon - Dynamax Ralts

Rewards: One Incense, one Lucky Egg and Impidimp encounter.

'Dark' path quest steps in A Grim Beginning

Here are all of the challenges and rewards for the 'Path to Mastery - Dark' path through the A Grim Beginning quest released as part of the Wild Area 2025: Global event. This path, if you can't tell, is themed around Dark-type Pokémon, which is reflected in the challenges, rewards and bonuses you'll experience. Be prepared - this section does contain spoilers!

'Path to Mastery - Dark' Step 2 of 6

  • Catch 30 Pokémon - 1,000 Stardust
  • Make 5 Nice Throws - 10 Ultra Balls
  • Use an Incense - 10 Impidimp Candy
  • Take snapshots of 3 different wild Pokémon - Cacnea encounter

Rewards: One Star Piece, one Poffin and one Lucky Egg.

'Path to Mastery - Dark' Step 3 of 6

Rewards: 1,000 Stardust, three Nanab Berries and three Rare Candies.

'Path to Mastery - Dark' Step 4 of 6

  • Catch 6 different species of Dark-type Pokémon - 1,000 Xp
  • Power up Dark-type Pokémon 15 times - 1 Rare Candy XL
  • Use a Dark-type Charged Attack in 3 battles - 1 Charged TM

Reward: Two Premium Battle Passes, the Dark Detective Medal and Mighty Obstagoon encounter.

'Path to Mastery - Dark' Step 5 of 6

Rewards: One Lucky Egg, one Star Piece and a Wilderness Cape Bewear encounter.

'Path to Mastery - Dark' Step 6 of 6

  • Claim reward - 1,000 XP
  • Claim reward - 1 Super Incubator
  • Claim reward - 1 Poffin

Reward: Three Rare Candy XL, Go Wild Area 2025 Pose and Gigantamax Grimmsnarl encounter.

The High Voltage event is currently running. There's a lot to do in Pokémon Go outside of the current event! First, it's worth learning about the level update. After this, you might want to fight in the Go Battle League, use Party Play, compete in a PokéStop Showcase or explore a Route for its Gift Exchange. Keep an eye out for rare Pokémon and don't forget to collect Max Particles, so you can battle Dynamax Pokémon in Max Battles.

'Fairy' path quest steps in A Grim Beginning

Below you'll find all of the challenges and rewards for the 'Path to Mastery - Fairy' path for the A Grim Beginning quest released as part of the Wild Area 2025: Global event in Pokémon Go. This path is themed around Fairy-type Pokémon, so make sure you like this Pokémon type if you select this path. Spoilers lie below!

'Path to Mastery - Fairy' Step 2 of 6

  • Catch 30 Pokémon - 1,000 Stardust
  • Make 5 Nice Throws - 10 Ultra Balls
  • Use an Incense - 10 Impidimp Candy
  • Take snapshots of 3 different wild Pokémon - Dedenne encounter

Rewards: One Star Piece, one Poffin and one Lucky Egg.

'Path to Mastery - Fairy' Step 3 of 6

Rewards: 1,000 Stardust, three Rare Candies and three Nanab Berries.

'Path to Mastery - Fairy' Step 4 of 6

  • Catch 6 different species of Fairy-type Pokémon - 1,000 XP
  • Power up Fairy-type Pokémon 15 times - 1 Rare Candy XL
  • Use a Fairy-type Charged Attack in 3 battles - 1 Charged TM

Rewards: Two Premium Battle Passes, the Fairy Fanatic Medal and a Mighty Gardevoir encounter.

'Path to Mastery - Fairy' Step 5 of 6

Rewards: One Lucky Egg, one Star Piece and a Wilderness Cape Bewear encounter.

'Path to Mastery - Fairy' Step 6 of 6

  • Claim reward - 1,000 XP
  • Claim reward - 1 Super Incubator
  • Claim reward - 1 Poffin

Rewards: Three Rare Candy XL, Go Wild Area 2025 Pose and a Gigiantamax Grimmsnarl encounter.

Dark and Fairy path bonuses for A Grim Beginning quest

Let's take a quick look at the bonuses you can unlock by choosing either the Dark or Fairy path through the A Grim Beginning quest in Pokémon Go. These bonuses will run from whenever you collect the medal for said quest to 6pm (local time) on Sunday 16th November.

Keep in mind that the quest itself won't be live until the Wild Area 2025: Global event starts at 10am (local time) on Saturday 15th November. Due to this, I highly recommend getting this medal as quickly as possible to fully benefit from these bonuses.

Dark Detective (Dark-type) bonuses for A Grim Beginning quest

  • Additional 1,000 Stardust for catching Dark-type Mighty Pokémon
  • One additional Candy XL rewarded for catching Dark-type Mighty Pokémon (Requires being Trainer Level 31 or higher)

Fairy Fanatic (Fairy-type) bonuses for A Grim Beginning quest

  • Additional 1,000 Stardust for catching Fairy-type Mighty Pokémon
  • One additional Candy XL rewarded for catching Fairy-type Mighty Pokémon (Requires being Trainer Level 31 or higher)

What's the best Choose Path choice for A Grim Beginning quest, Dark or Fairy?

When it comes to the best Choose Path choice for A Grim Beginning - Dark or Fairy - the answer is subjective. I know that's not exactly the answer you wanted to hear, but, considering how the paths share the same ultimate reward (an encounter with Gigantamax Grimmsnarl), your decision comes down to personal preference or which one aligns best with your current Pokémon Go goals.

Firstly, you could always pick which types you like the most, Dark or Fairy. Both types contain some useful Pokémon - like Deino who's a Dark and Dragon-type or Marill which can evolve into the Go Battle League favourite Azumarill. So, if you feel yourself leaning towards one type over the other, why not just go with your gut instincts?

If you're looking for more concrete advice, however, then consider the Mighty Pokémon bonuses. Your path choice will determine whether you're able to collect additional Candy XL and Stardust from catching either Dark or Fairy-type Mighty Pokémon depending on your choice. Since Mighty Pokémon are always final stage evolutions and have the potential to be very powerful (if you've recently played Legends: Z-A, they're Go's Alpha Pokémon equivalent), these bonuses can help you easily power up one of these creatures. The end result could be exactly what you need for your next Go Battle League or raid team. Due to this, have a think - do you need a new powerful Dark or Fairy-type Pokémon? If you can answer yes to either of these types, then go with that choice.

Depending on your path choice, you'll earn either a Mighty Obstagoon or Mighty Gardevoir encounter.

Your A Grim Beginning choice will even help you get a strong Mighty Pokémon! Taking the Dark path will eventually reward you with a Mighty Obstagoon encounter, while taking the Fairy path leads to an encounter with a Mighty Gardevoir. Since these are both encounters tied to a research quest, these Pokémon won't flee and are more likely to have better stats than the ones caught in the wild. This is great because both Obstagoon and Gardevoir are doing quite well in the current Pokémon Go meta!

Personally, I'll be taking the Fairy path and for two main reasons. Firstly, Fairy is one of my favourite Pokémon types - I love the designs many of the recent Fairy-types have, it has some really interesting dual type combinations and it's a great addition to any team. Secondly, despite my love for the type, my Fairy-type attacker options have become a little lax in Pokémon Go. (I can't keep using the same Togekiss or Primarina.) I'd love a proper new fae contender on my team. With the release of Impidimp and the Fairy-type Mighty Pokémon, Wild Area 2025: Global is the perfect time to fix that problem!

How does A Grim Beginning work in Pokémon Go?

A Grim Beginning is a Special Research quest released on Saturday 15th November as part of the ticketed experience for Wild Area 2025: Global. This means you must purchase, or already have, a ticket for this event if you wish to play this Pokémon Go quest.

Since Wild Area 2025: Global is running over two days, you'll also be able to unlock this quest on Sunday 16th November - perfect if you're unable to play the game on Saturday. Just keep in mind that the additional bonuses you can unlock via this quest are tied to earning the medal it offers. Due to this, it's a good idea to unlock this medal as quickly as possible - even if you're primarily enjoying the Wild Area event on Sunday - to ensure you benefit from these bonuses for as long as possible.

Wild Area 2025: Global tickets cost £11.99, $11.99 or the equivalent in your local currency. This purchase is nonrefundable and can not be purchased using PokéCoin. You can also gift a Wild Area ticket to another player.

The official art for the Wild Area 2025: Global event in Pokémon Go, including Grimmsnarl, Galarian Ponyta and Impidimp.
Image credit: Niantic

After unlocking A Grim Beginning, you can complete it whenever you like since, as a Special Research quest, it lacks a deadline. Though, like I've recommended previously, it's a good idea to play it during the Wild Area 2025: Global event so you can enjoy the additional bonuses it offers.

A Grim Beginning is also a branching quest where you'll be asked to pick between two paths - Dark and Fairy. This path choice is permanent, so make sure you pick it carefully. (Take a look at the section above if you need a hand making your decision.) Outside of this, A Grim Beginning works exactly the same as any other Pokémon Go research quest. Complete enough challenges to finish a quest step and collect the rewards on offer; rinsing and repeating this process until the quest is over.

Best of luck completing A Grim Beginning!

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